Jupiter, Saturn merging in night sky, closest in centuries
(Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Jupiter and Saturn will merge in the night sky Monday, appearing closer to one another than they have since Galileo’s time in the 17th century. Jupiter passes its neighbor Saturn in their respective laps around the sun every 20 years. Saturn and Jupiter have been drawing closer in the south-southwest sky for weeks. Despite appearances, Jupiter and Saturn will actually be more than 450 million miles (730 million kilometers) apart. A telescope will not only capture Jupiter and Saturn in the same field of view, but even some of their brightest moons.
Small plane, with just pilot aboard, crashes in Shenandoah National Park
LURAY, Va. A small plane with only the pilot aboard crashed Wednesday in the Shenandoah National Park, authorities said. A single-engine Piper PA-20-135 plunged into some trees in the park in Rappahannock County at about 1:30 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The FAA statement had no immediate word on the fate of the pilot or the identity of the person. Park officials tweeted Wednesday afternoon that it was investigating the crash and would release more details as we know them.The National Transportation Safety Board tweeted that it was investigating the crash in the Luray area, near one of the entrances to the large park. No further details were immediately available.
Part of Blue Ridge Parkway closed to help slow the spread of the coronavirus announced
NELSON COUNTY, Va. – The northernmost 13 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway are now closed. The National Park Service announced the closure is in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus and is in coordination with the closure now in place at Shenandoah National Park. Both closures will remain in effect until further notice. Access to hiking trails remains open where not inaccessible due to road closure for weather, maintenance, emergency or administrative necessity.